I don't see this thread as covering bad things that happen while surfing, but I found this film of being caught inside a 6 wave set at Todos Santos interesting. Not giant surf, but obviously a very solid, long period swell.

We often don't realise just how short most rides are. Taylor Knox said, only semi-jokingly, the average Californian wave ride is 2 to 3 seconds. You watch website's wave of the week, when not in slo-mo, they are often no more than 7 second rides.

But this chap, puffed already by paddling around and then paddling for and missing a non-set wave, finds himself caught inside a very solid six wave set. Going by the camera, while he is working hard, he spends about 55 seconds underwater in a period of 1 min 45 secs. To me, that is a surprising amount of time. I think the lesson is, if you don't have a fair bit of fitness, you could easily be in a lot of trouble.http://youtu.be/s695pzIiRDg

rmb wrote:I think foamy it suggests more about if your unable to understand the environment observe conditions etc you could be in a lot of trouble.

Yep, well he did call it 'How not to surf Todos Santos'.

Though big surf, in most conditions, if you out for a while, you will get caught inside.
Shane Dorian said that advice for people who want to paddle Jaws. To be in position to catch most waves, he said, you had better be prepared to be caught inside because that is a certainty.

The old two card trick. You get frustrated waiting ages out the back for "the big one" while smaller ones break inside. You paddle inside to get the smaller ones then the cleanup set arrives. Alternatively you paddle for and miss the first set wave only to find you can't get out the back quickly enough to miss the next three crunchers. Happens all the time in big and small surf.

That's my strongest surfing skill, getting impatient and taking the smaller ones, only to wear the set on my head. Or at least watching the good ones roll through as I'm paddling back out, Can't be taught.

we are the angry mob
We read the papers everyday
We like who we like, we hate who we hate
But we're also easily swayed

Just about gave me nightmares, Foamy. Brought back memories.
I got caught about halfway out between Surge and Winky at the Bower one big day. Had to be big to break out there and rideable all the way past Surge on the outside.
Wiped out on the first in the set and broke my leggie. I don't know how many there were in the set but by the time I finished I was well inside Surge and still in water over my head. But the thing is, with all the rocks on the bottom, the turbulence is horrendous.
When the set finished I had to swim (slowly) out into the deep water and go looking for my board which was halfway across the channel towards the pool. Well, maybe not halfway but it felt like it.
Probably the worst I've ever had. If it happened today (20 years later) I'd drown.

I curse their head & all the hairs of their head; I curse their face, their brain, their mouth, their nose, their tongue, their teeth, their forehead, their shoulders, their breast, their heart, their stomach, their back, their womb, their arms, their legs, their hands, their feet & all their body, from the top of their head to the soles of their feet, before and behind, within and without

I remember Matt Grainger saying they were doing tow ins at the Bower and I can't remember who it actually was but they took off and the whole reef went dry. They got broken ribs and washed into Shellies. The rest of the crew didn't know what happened and thought he had just decided to paddle in and go home.

Question for Novocastrians. Those BIG South Winter Swells that often get photog'd featuring those grinding mofo walls. I'm assuming it's Newcastle Harbour (or if not, where is it?) It looks epic and coming into the prime season I wanna have a crack at it soon. Tick it off the list.

So what's it like in the 8-10 ft range? The paddle out? The paddle in? The wave itself? Etc?

By the looks of it I'm thinking an eight foot paddle gun would be the go. But is it also viable on a foiled up step up, say a 6'9 or so?

Anyone surfed it before or surf it much?

Last edited by Hatchnam on Mon Apr 13, 2015 5:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

The Mighty Sunbird wrote:I think I had kebab and DOOGH every day. Fresh DOOGH is heavenly

Hatchnam wrote:Question for Novocastrians. Those BIG South Winter Swells that often get photog'd featuring those grinding mofo walls. I'm assuming it's Newcastle Harbour (or if not, where is it?) It looks epic and coming into the prime season I wanna have a crack at it soon. Tick it off the list.

So what's it like in the 8-10 ft range? The paddle out? The paddle in? The wave itself? Etc?

By the looks of it I'm thinking an eight foot paddle gun would be the go. But is it also viable on a foiled up step up, say a 6'9 or so?

Anyone surfed it before or surf it much?

If you're thinking of Newie Harbour (shallow right hander) I wouldn't bother with a big board. Your normal shorty or a step up will do. Although you'll have to battle with dozens of boogers taking off on the boil, making it rarely worth the hassle.

Also cut down the wave height by three quarters from the open beaches...